Overview
- France’s main publishers’ syndicate (SNE) said the 2026 Angoulême festival cannot be held because of the large-scale boycott by creators.
- Festival operator 9e Art+ rejected reports of a cancellation and said talks are underway to try to hold the 2026 edition.
- Hundreds of authors have maintained their boycott call, including 285 women creators such as 2025 Grand Prix winner Anouk Ricard, demanding new governance.
- The Culture Ministry cut €200,000 from its support over shortcomings in the 2025 edition, as state and local funders met urgently and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region pushed to keep an edition, warning a blank year could be fatal.
- The crisis stems from accusations of opaque governance and the 2024 dismissal of an employee who filed a rape complaint, with a judicial inquiry reported and general delegate Franck Bondoux saying he would step back from organizing.